As you’re eating Thanksgiving leftovers for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, here are three things to keep an eye on around baseball today:
1. Black Friday shopping:
After a quiet Thanksgiving Day, will any teams resume their offseason shopping on Black Friday? It’s not typically a busy day on the baseball calendar, but it’s not as if every front office executive around the league takes the day off. Three years ago, for instance, news broke that the Mets had signed Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar on Black Friday.
If any team is going to be active today, the Blue Jays might be the best bet. After all, Canadian Thanksgiving has long since passed, and the Jays have been active on Black Friday before; they traded for Josh Donaldson on Black Friday in 2014 and signed free agent J.A. Happ on Black Friday in 2015. Toronto has been linked to several of the top free agents this winter, including Juan Soto, Max Fried, and Anthony Santander. Most recently, a report from Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet connected the Blue Jays to Alex Bregman and Luis Severino.
2. Hyeseong Kim to be posted?
According to Jeeho Yoo of Yonhap News, Hyeseong Kim left for Los Angeles earlier today in anticipation of his move from the KBO to MLB. His current team, the Kiwoom Heroes, has not yet posted him, but they are discussing the topic with Kim’s agents at CAA. The three-time KBO Golden Glove winner told Yoo he expects to be posted after Thanksgiving. That suggests he’ll be available to sign with MLB clubs as early as next week. After he is officially posted, he will have 45 days to sign a contract before his posting window closes.
Kim came in at no. 26 on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list this offseason. And unlike fellow international star Roki Sasaki, Kim is old enough and has the necessary amount of professional experience to sign with any MLB club for as many years and dollars as he can command. Given his plus speed, his defensive talents at second base, his well-regarded bat-to-ball skills, and his youth (he won’t turn 26 until January), the MLBTR staff predicted him to sign a three-year, $24 million deal.
3. Soto sweepstakes continue:
Until he puts pen to paper on a (presumably) record-breaking contract, Juan Soto’s free agency will remain the biggest story of the 2024-25 MLB offseason. The latest update in the Soto saga, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, is that the Yankees increased their offer on Wednesday, although it is not clear what their previous offer was or how much they upped the original number.
More tidbits from Heyman’s reporting include the fact that Soto would prefer a long-term deal as opposed to a shorter contract with a higher AAV. However, he is likely to ask for opt-outs in whatever deal he signs. The Yankees made it clear they are willing to include opt-outs in their offer, but reportedly, so are multiple other suitors. Don’t expect Soto to sign this weekend, but keep an eye out for reports and rumors that will surely continue to trickle out.
Do they get discounts on Soto today?
No, he just raised his asking price by 30% yesterday and lowered it back to original price today. Standard practice.
And theres only one at that price…
He’s not worth the money. Hopefully the Mets pay him.
@9/11ths
Not true. I saw a shirt that’s been on the shelf for months at the original price of $25 and it’s not down to $20, today. How is that 30% more?
@OldYork. Obviously that’s a good that has little demand. It probably doesn’t have a complex pattern like the high quality shirts sold at Dan Flashes.
Hopefully, your team doesn’t sign that shirt to play RF.
Yes, he is discounted, but I’ve slept outside his house for two nights now in order to be the first in line. That’s how it works, right?
You did the same thing for the Star Wars movies, admit it.
For Boston.. i think is better Santander and Fried!! Then trade Casas for Gilbert or Wood! Devers at 1B …: Arenado at 3B
I don’t want Devers anywhere near first. I don’t get why everyone thinks Devers can be even passable at first. As far as I know he has never played first base and we want to put him at the position that takes the most throws in the dirt on the field. It doesn’t seem like a good idea. Devers should be the DH and Masa should be shipped out Masa just doesn’t fit this team.
I don’t want to see Devers at first either but most of his issues seem to be with his throws as a result of rushing them or trying to make them when he should just hold on to it.
Bruin – I don’t get why anyone would determine what Devers can and cannot do without trying him out there first? That seems highly irrational.
Schwarber got a chance to try first base, certainly Devers should get a chance also. At least during practices and in ST games.
And again, the manager of the Dominican WBC team wanted Devers to play first base. I would think if it was certain Devers cannot play first base, he wouldn’t have wanted him to.
@at FPG. Bro Schwarber wasn’t trying to replace a guy with generational power. 1st base is covered, it isnt broken, so you don’t fix it.
Just release Yoshi. They van pay him to sit on the bench or sit at home. At least at home he isnt taking up a roster spot.
Move Fat Panda Jr to DH.
Casas is who needs to play 1B. If he can stay healthy, big if, that dude was raking.
Casas is part of the package for Crochet.
Ya, let’s trade the dude playing 1B, who can launch 40 HR so the other dude who sucks at 3rd can suck at 1st.
Have another coffee, bro. The brain is still snoring.
If the red sox were really serious about soto, theo epstein would have been having thanksgiving dinner with him like he did with curt schilling.
My family talks about that every Thanksgiving.
I would like to see the Jays competitive again, the AL East needs them to be. With the Rays expected to have another losing season, I wouldn’t want it to be a 3-team division. And the better the divisional competition, the more pressure on Red Sox ownership to start trying to win again.
Loved seeing that Passan might’ve been scooped on this deal. Soto to Boston looking pretty good right now.
He wasn’t scooped, the tweeter was a Red Sox fan who made it up. He’s not coming to Boston
Mango – And even if Soto does come to Boston, he sure as hell hasn’t decided that already. Only an absolute idiot would believe Soto would make that decision just a few days after he started accepting offers.
Gomez is a Latin American MLB journalist, saying he is just some “fan” is fairly disrespectful. He correctly scooped the Devers extension early and at the time several “more reputable” journalists clapped back saying it was false and that Devers rejected the offer.
However I do think all of these journalists currently talking Soto are either taking wild guesses or are being baited by sources connected to Boras in order to up his price.
All that said, I expect the real Soto contract news to come through a lesser known Latin American source first with connections in the Dominican Republic, and not from someone like Passan or Heyman!
High – I haven’t seen Gomez repeat the claim that Soto already has a deal in place with the Red Sox. You got a link?
Please come to Boston for the spring time…
swan – Good grief, you actually believe the clown who waited until yesterday to get the most attention?
Sorry but I can’t stand people like that, either he’s lying or he was stupid enough to believe whomever told him Soto already has a deal in place. Either way he’s a nobody with a bad reputation who has never broken a baseball story before. And you actually think him and only him knows about this supposed secret deal that was supposedly made just a few days after Soto began accepting offers? SMH ….
It’s not just one random guy. I’ve read the story from multiple sources. Of course it’s subject to change until pen is put to paper and he’s introduced by the team.
ted – You have to be careful this time of year, it’s the internet which means a rumor started by just one person can spread quite a bit very quickly.
Who is the source for the “multiple sources” you speak of? Probably the same kid who started the rumor yesterday.
Teddyballgame:
You’re obviously a Red Sox fan and rooting for your team to get him but don’t be gullible. He’s still in the negotiating process. He’s not going to take that offer from the Red Sox. He’s going to keep getting these teams to play off each other to get the highest offer possible. This is just fake Internet news.
There was a reply above referencing Gomez but there is an article on Over the Monster that collects a bunch of people tweeting.
You’re 100% right about being careful. Could be leaked by Boras to prompt a bigger bid from New York.
Every leak has an agenda behind it.
ted – Link the article please.
Feverpitchguy:
I think he’s going to have a hard time linking what his cousin‘s friends roommates sister’s dentist told him to be true.
Swanhenge:
I feel quite confident saying that Soto is not going to sign with the Red Sox.
If it’s true that the nyy just upped their asking price, Soto is probably waiting for counter offers which will delay his signing.
Gut tells me Soto is going to Boston, but it we aren’t at the signing stage. We are at the other teams making silly offers just to launch the price into orbit stage.
As a phillies fan , if we don’t sign him then I hope Boston gets him
I still think Soto would be signed by now if he was willing to move to 2B. It’s all the rage to offer options to perspective employers.
@stymeedone
Soto needs to move to DH. Not a good fielder. His only value is in his bat and getting on base.
I’m reading Red Sox for 12 or 13 years at $600 – $625M.
Please let the rumors be true!!!
I’ll be buying a jersey as soon as it’s available!
LFG!!!
The Yankees or Mets will top that offer.
We’ll see soon enough. I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed!
Lord – They probably already have.
I know it’s not possible, but I’ really wish I could find out the exact order in which offers are made. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Red Sox offer came after the highest offer was already made.
Boras: “The Mets have offered $650M, how much are you willing to spend?”
John Henry: “I’ll give him $600M”.
Teddyballgame:
Let’s just pull the Band-Aid off now. It’s not true. The Mets and Yankees will both top that offer.
@teddyballgame
I’m reading RSox are giving him 20 years at $1B. Thoughts?
York – Thank you for the info, I’m gonna go buy a Soto Red Sox jersey right now!
No way. That’s ludicrous.
@andyger63
Yes, it is ludicrous, but I wouldn’t be surprised in the coming decade that someone signs a contract for $1B. Ohtani already has the $700M contract, so what’s another $300M for someone who can pitch and play the field or catch? Those athletes are coming.
Andy – It’s on the internet, so it has to be true.
According to Jon Heyman teams are waiting until Cyber Monday to make lucrative contract offers.
From my limited understanding, besides being a fantastic defensive secondbaseman,Kim has graded out pretty well at SS too. I wonder if Atlanta might pursue him as an alternative in their search for a potential starting SS.
If he could play adequate defense, hit .250, and steal 30 bases he could be a bargain.
He’s definitely going to have a market, maybe even 8-10 teams interested?
Burnes, Fried, Adames and Santander instead of Soto. Imagine the Red Sox or Blue Jays if they did this
Yo – I can also imagine the players that Adames and Santander replace end up being better than them. That’s why I’d rather wait until the trade deadline before getting rid of any of their position players, unless they can find takers for Story, Rafaela or Grissom.
I still say the Pirates should take a chance on Goldschmidt
I’d love for the yankees to pass on Soto and sign Santander, for left field play the Martian in center and move judge back to right. Then get adames for 3b sign corbin burnes and tanner scott make a trade with the cubs for bellinger to play 1st and then go sign 2 middle relievers
I have been in contact with all my sources, in my head, and they all said their connections have informed them that the “Black Horse Angels” are the winners of the Soto Deal. My sources are always very informed & up to date!
I think Soto will go to the Dodgers. And I say that as a Yankee fan. Dodgers, Yankees or Mets.
Thanks to Darragh and Nick for keeping the news going on Thanksgiving. It was a good place to go when Uncle Dan starts telling the same story for the fourth year in a row.
Jays might spend but it’s not going to be for Soto
The Phillies are just lurking there in the dark waiting for the time to strike and sign soto
If I was a POBO or GM in the Al East, the only reason to express interest in Soto would be to drive up the price to the Yankees and/or ensure he ends up in the NL with the Mets. Soto is a great player, but one or two great players is not enough to win the WS. For example, the Angels with Ohtani and Trout that could not get to the postseason.
IF I want to win, like the Yankees do, I rather spend that $45 million per year somewhere else and not be on the hook for that kind of money for more than a decade.
I think the phillies are gonna be the team in the end
Why would soto want opt outs?? That part doesnt make sense to me
If he signing the biggest deal ever